Thursday, January 12
6:30-9 pm, Mayor’s MLK Reception, Zeitgeist Arts Cafe, 222 E. Superior St. Duluth
This event is in conjunction with the 2017 Twin Ports’ MLK Tribute events. Visit
http://duluthnaacp.org/mlk for more information.
Thursday, January 13
10:30 am, — 12:30 pm, Books For Africa, Books For Africa Warehouse, 635 Prior Ave. N., Suite 100, St. Paul
Students, staff and faculty from St. Paul’s Hamline University will volunteer to sort and pack books for Ethiopian school children at the Books For Africa (BFA) Warehouse as part of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service project in advance of the King Holiday Jan. 16.
Hamline University and BFA, the largest shipper of books to the African continent, have teamed up for the past three years to honor Dr. King’s legacy of service and to send books to students in Africa.
For more information contact Patrick Plonski, Books For Africa, 651-291-2713 (office) or 651-491-3391 (mobile) or Nancy Vang, Hamline University, 651-523-2483.
6 pm, Twin Ports’ Got Talent MLK Day Talent Show, 1024 N. 8th Ave., E., Duluth
Join singers, dancers, performers, poets and magicians displaying their talent in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. This event is part of the Duluth-Twin Ports MLK Holiday Celebration. Go to http://duluthnaacp.org/mlk for more information.
Saturday, January 14
10-11:30 am, Hidden Human Computers book launch and signing with author Miriam Duchess Harris, Science Museum of Minnesota, 120 Kellogg Blvd. W., St. Paul
Hidden Human Computers: The Black Women of NASA tells the little-known history of African American women with math and science degrees who worked at NASA in 1943 in secret, segregated facilities.
Join Umbra Search, with Blacks in Technology-MN, the Charles Babbage Institute, and the Science Museum of Minnesota to celebrate the launch and publication of Hidden Human Computers. Harris will present her digital archive and host an author-audience conversation, with book signing and sales as part of the “African Americans in Science” Science Fusion event with the museum. This event is free and open to the public. Go to http://bit.do/Hidden-Human-Computers to RSVP.
1-4 pm, Science Fusion: African Americans in Science, Science Museum of Minnesota, 120 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul
Discover the inspiring careers and scientific contributions of local African American professionals in the fields of health care, technology, and more.
You are encouraged to bring the whole family. On Science Fusion days, up to four kids get in free (ages 17 and under) with each full-priced adult admission. Regular admission is $13; children ages four-12 and seniors 60 and older are $10. Special rates for people with limited income are available. Call 651-221-9444 to purchase tickets.
5:30 pm (Dinner, show at 7 pm), Rhythm & Hues, Peace United Church of Christ, 1111 North 11th Ave. E., Duluth
Formally known as Jammin’ With MLK, this event celebrates the Black influence in performing arts with music, poetry, spoken word and dance. Contact David at da.rabb@gmail if interested in performing. This event is part of the Duluth-Twin Ports MLK Holiday Celebration. Visit http://duluthnaacp.org/mlk for more information.
Sunday, January 15
5 pm, Ecumenical Worship Service, St. Mark AME Church, 530 N 5th Ave. E., Duluth
The community is invited to an ecumenical worship service honoring Dr. King’s legacy as a man of God who served others. This event is part of the Duluth-Twin Ports MLK Holiday Celebration. Go to http://duluthnaacp.org/mlk for more information.
Monday, January 16
All day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is observed as a day to serve the community and reflect on Dr. King’s philosophy of bringing people together to work towards a common good. Find volunteer sites for MLK, Jr. Day of Service by contacting Hands On Twin Cities at 612-379-4900 or info@handsontwincities.org, or go to www.handsontwincities.org or www.mlkday.gov.
7 am, MLK Holiday Breakfasts — A fundraiser to benefit UNCF, Mpls. Convention Center, Ballroom A-B, 1301 Second Ave. S., Mpls
The General Mills Foundation and The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) present the 27th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Breakfast. For the first time in its 27-year history, the MLK Breakfast will be an official fundraiser benefiting the UNCF (United Negro College Fund).
Your support of the 2017 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Breakfast will help keep Minnesota’s promise that all young people should have access to a four-year college degree. At this year’s breakfast, proceeds will benefit the Minneapolis Chapter of UNCF, and help provide local students with four-year scholarships for deserving low-income students.
Myrlie Evers-Williams is this year’s keynote speaker. An author and civil rights activist, Evers-Williams was the wife of murdered civil rights activist Medgar Evers. While fighting to bring his killer to justice, Evers-Williams also continued her husband’s work with her book, For Us, The Living.
She also wrote Watch Me Fly: What I Learned on the Way to Becoming the Woman I Was Meant to Be. Evers-Williams served as chair of the NAACP from 1995 to 1998.
This event is sold out at press time but will be broadcast live at 8 am on Twin Cities Public Television and streamed online at www.tpt.org. For more information, email contact@mlkbreakfast.com or go to www.mlkbreakfast.com. You can also watch the broadcast at one of the community breakfast locations listed below. All Twin Cities-area breakfasts request a $5 donation (children 12 and under are free) and start at 7 am except where noted.
2017 Breakfast Sites:
East Side/Downtown St. Paul
Progressive Baptist Church
1505 Burns Ave., St. Paul
*7:45-10:30 am
Summit-University St. Paul
Lutheran Church of the Redeemer
285 Dale St. N., St. Paul
West Side/West St. Paul
St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church
1575 Charlton St. West St. Paul
Macalester College
Kagin Commons
1600 Grand Ave., St. Paul
*7:30-9:30 am
*Breakfast is free for Macalester alumni, students, and staff. Everyone is welcome to attend. Registration is required.
Northeast Suburbs
White Bear Unitarian Universalist Church
328 Maple St., Mahtomedi
North Minneapolis/Northern Suburbs
Brooklyn United Methodist Church
7200 Brooklyn Blvd., Brooklyn Center
United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities
McMillian Building
3000 5th St. N.W., New Brighton
*Breakfast is free to attend. Registration is required.
Two breakfasts will be held outside the Twin Cities area:
Duluth
First United Methodist Church
230 E. Skyline Pkwy, Duluth
River Falls, Wisconsin
Saint Bridget Catholic Church
211 E. Division St., River Falls
7:30-9:30 am, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration and Day of Service, Atwood Memorial Center, 651 1st Ave. S., St. Cloud
To honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., clergyman, activist, humanitarian and leader in the African American Civil Rights Movement, St. Cloud State is partnering with General Mills Foundation, United Negro College Fund and Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) to present keynote speaker Myrlie Evers-Williams.
Evers-Williams’ Minneapolis remarks will be simulcast at 8 am to screens in the Atwood Ballroom. Students, employees and community members are invited to engage in conversations and interactions on things that matter, to critically analyze how to create positive change and to do the required actions to support the well being of everyone in our community.
Included in the celebration is King’s Kids, an event for children three and older who are invited to learn more about Dr. King and what community service means. The children participate in hands-on activities developed to inspire, ignite and teach about Dr. King’s legacy and his vision for the beloved community.
There will be breakout rooms for children of various age groups staffed by adult volunteers with fun and educational activities from 8:15-9:30 am. For more information, visit www.stcloudstate.edu/care/mlk-breakfast.
8:30 am— 12 pm, Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance — Guide My Feet, Luther Seminary Chapel of the Incarnation, Olson Campus Center, 1490 Fulham Street, St. Paul
For Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Luther Seminary will feature two activists: Ericka Huggins is a former Black Panther, who has dedicated her life to fight injustice and to act against oppression. The other, Danny Givens Jr., is a leader in the Twin Cities Black Lives Matter movement, working to educate and agitate the community around issues of racial tension and police brutality.
Come listen to these two incredible voices. You will be informed, inspired and called to act. The event is free and open to the public. No RSVP is required. For more information, go to http://bit.do/Lutheran-Seminary-MLK.
9 am — 12 pm, 31st Annual State of Minnesota Governor’s Council MLK Day Celebration
9-10 am: Youth rally & march at the Minnesota State Capitol, 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, St. Paul
10 am — 12 pm: A musical celebration featuring a tribute by Grammy Award-Winning ensemble, the Sounds of Blackness, at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, 345 Washington St., St. Paul. This event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. For more information, go to Facebook/MNMLKHoliday.
10 am —1 pm, MLK Jr., Holiday Diversity Career Fair, U.S. Bank Stadium, 511 11th Ave. S., Mpls
You are invited to meet face-to-face with companies looking to hire a diverse pool of motivated candidates. Whether you’re unemployed or interested in new opportunities, come ready to make valuable connections with top recruiters.
This event is free and open to everyone. For more information, visit http://bit.do/MLKCareerFair or call (800) 390-5561, ext. 107.
11 am — 2 pm, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration, Powderhorn Community
Center, 3400 15th Ave., S. Mpls.
This youth and family event celebrates Dr. King’s dream with free entertainment, family activities and a lunch.
11:45 am, 2017 Twin Ports’ MLK Tribute March and Rally, Washington Center, 310 N. 1st Ave. W., Duluth, The DECC, 350 Harbor Dr., Duluth.
Community members will celebrate Dr. King with a march that begins at Washington Center and then gather for the rally at the DECC Center. This event is part of the Duluth-Twin Ports MLK Holiday Celebration. Go to http://duluthnaacp.org/mlk for more information.
1-2:30 pm, MLK Convocation, Augsburg College, 2211 Riverside Ave., Mpls.
Nekima Levy-Pounds will deliver the keynote address at this year’s MLK Convocation, with the theme of renewing Dr. King’s dream for justice in the age of demagoguery. The event is free and open to the public. For more event details, visit: www.augsburg.edu/convo/mlk.
6:30–7:30 pm, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration
This event includes a keynote presentation by Duchess Harris, professor of American Studies at Macalester, plus live entertainment by local award-winning artists Michael DeCole and Jovanta Patton. Attendees are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to donate. Refreshments will be available following the program. This event is free and open to the public. No registration required.
7 pm, REEL Talk: Black is…Black Ain’t, Penumbra Theatre, 270 N. Kent St., St. Paul
In the 1994 documentary Black Is…Black Ain’t (88 minutes) Marlon Riggs explores African American identity, investigating a cross-section of Black Americans grappling with sometimes paradoxical or contradictory definitions of Blackness.
A discussion of the film’s themes will follow the film screening. The event is free, but reservations are required. Call 651-224-3180, email boxoffice@penumbratheatre.org or go to http://penumbratheatre.org.
7-8:30 pm, The Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 2017, Open Circle Church, 2400 Highland Dr., Burnsville
Dr. Crystal Moten, Asst. Professor of African American Studies at Macalester College, will lead off the program. The title of her remarks will be: “From Reluctance to Revolution: The Evolution of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Nonviolent Direct Action Strategy.”
Speakers from Black Lives Matter St. Paul, and the Women’s March of Washington, MN each make a presentation and with a moderated panel discussion to follow. Additional speakers from Standing Rock environmental movement pending at press time. The event is free and open to the public. Visit http://bit.do/Civil-DisobedienceMLK for more information.
7 pm, Labor Movie Night, Duluth Labor Temple, 2002 London Road, Duluth
This event is part of the Duluth-Twin Ports MLK Holiday Celebration. Go to http://duluthnaacp.org/mlk for more information.
7-9 pm, Shaun King speaking at Concordia College, 901 8th St. S., Moorhead
Reflect on the King holiday and issues surrounding injustice with NY Daily News Senior Justice Writer and civil rights activist Shaun King. For more details, visit: http://bit.do/Shaun-King-Concordia.
Tuesday, January 17
6-8:30 pm, Increasing Education and Income Equity in Minnesota In Honor of MLK, Hennepin Technical College Brooklyn Park Campus, 9000 Brooklyn Blvd., Brooklyn Park
The Think Again Brooklyns January forum, presented in collaboration with Hennepin Technical College and North Hennepin Community College, will give an overview of racial disparities in Minnesota and an introduction to new education programs in MN public high schools and colleges which aim to prepare students for good paying jobs with long term career potential. Free and open to the public but reservations are suggested at http://bit.ly/2h1dZTW.
Thursday, January 19
6-7:30 pm, 36th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute Concert Ted Mann Concert Hall, 2128 S. 4th St., Mpls
This event will feature the soul sounds of V. Bozeman, Grammy-nominated singer, music producer and actress, best known for her recurring role in FOX’s Golden Globe-nominated hit drama Empire. The concert will also include performances from other artists, including the U of M Jazz Combo.
This program, jointly sponsored by the Office for Equity and Diversity and the University of Minnesota, School of Music, honors Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Dr. Reginald Buckner, founder of the MLK, Jr. Concert.
The concert is free of charge and open to the public; no advance tickets or reservations are required. For more information about the program, or for disability accommodations, contact the Office for Equity and Diversity at oed@umn.edu or 612-624-0594. Visit http://z.umn.edu/mlktribute2017 for more event information.
Saturday, January 20
9 am — 1 pm, MLK, Jr. Celebration and Engagement, 1501 Hennepin Ave., Mpls
Minneapolis Community and Technical College invites you to celebrate the legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. with service projects, a drum ceremony and an on-site mural project. Go to minneapolis.edu/mlk for more information or 612-659-6000.
Saturday, January 21
9 am — 1 pm, MLK, Jr. Celebration and Engagement, 1501 Hennepin Ave., Mpls
Celebrate the legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr with a breakfast, music, student panel discussion and march participation with Minneapolis Community and Technical College. RSVP for the breakfast at studentlife@minneapolis.edu/mlk. Go to minneapolis.edu/mlk for more information or 612-659-6000.
Know of an event that should be added to the calendar? Please send it to msrnewsonline@spokesman-recorder.com.
